This invention relates to a floor care apparatus; more particularly, it relates to a power head device for storing and dispensing a dry chemical carpet cleaning material and agitating this material into the carpet fibers for dirt pick up and suspension prior to removal from the carpet by an external vacuum source.
For a period of years, there has been available a so-called dry chemical carpet cleaning material which may be dispensed over a soiled carpet, agitated in among the fibers to absorb and retain in pores of the material, the soil and dirt released from the fibers. Instead of being dry, the material carries a cleaning agent which is brought into contact with the carpet fibers to release the soil therefrom. Thus, the material which may be called powder is not actually dry but may have a moisture content of approximately 40% which results in a moist coherent cleaning composition tending to agglomerate or pack together. In addition to the cleaning agent, the dry chemical carpet cleaning material further includes, for example, a synthetic polymer formulated into sponge like porous particles which retain dirt brought thereto by the cleaning agent from the carpet fibers.
To obtain effective cleaning, it is necessary that some form of agitation bring the material into contact with the carpet fibers. A great deal of effort has been expended in the commercial field to insure that proper agitation of the carpet cleaning material into the carpet fibers is achieved in order to obtain proper cleaning thereof. Some examples of the prior art in the commercial field are found in the U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,245,371; 4,183,112; 4,137,590 and 4,097,950 assigned to the Milliken Research Corporation; and 4,240,569 assigned to Clark-Gravely Corporation. Some earlier work has also been accomplished by Bissel Incorporated in developing a manual device for applying and working a dry cleaning material into a carpet. This latter prior art is found in U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,409,379 and 3,289,240. Thus, there has been substantial work in the commercial field in the agitation of a dry chemical cleaning material into carpet fibers, and into the removal of the same therefrom; as well as a manual device for use in the home market for dispensing and brushing a dry chemical carpet cleaning material into a carpet.
What is now proposed is a simple power head device approaching the efficiency of the commercial devices and having the capability to disseminate dry chemical carpet cleaning material or powder onto the carpet, thoroughly agitate the same into the carpet fibers and remove the same from the fibers by means of a separate vacuum source. Ideally, such device should have the capability for storing the material for a period of time without the loss of the cleaning agent. Still further, such device should be of compact construction and entirely suited for use in a home or apartment by the occupant thereof.